The setup for NaNoWriMo at home, if I need to be portable. Long exposure lit by sweeping an LED flashlight over the scene. clickthing.blogspot.com/2008/10/tennish-anyone.html (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NaNoWriMo for me this year is more about developing a regular writing routine that about reaching 50k words. That said, I’ve not been doing remarkably well at achieving either goal due to starting the month with a nasty cold that turned into a minor sinus infection. Fuck you, germs.

I’ve gotten 9885 words, a third of which I wrote today. I’m more than 2000 words behind where I should be by their calculations to reach 50k by the end of the month. I’m, however, only 115 words behind where I wanted to be at this time, so I feel that I’ve pretty much caught up.

Bobby’s Daughter

Synopsis: This is sort of a sequel to the novel I’ll have coming out next year, No More Lies. Twentysomething years after it, someone shows up on Bobby’s, the main character of both stories, porch claiming to be his daughter. A bit of self-loathing occurs and disappointment from just about everyone, then adventure will happen. And a bit of stupidity. It’s a space opera, though a bit small scale for one.

First paragraph: The knock on the door surprised me a bit. Most people who’d be visiting unannounced at that time of day would’ve just walked in. I slid a knife into my left hand and opened the door with my right, figuring I could never be too cautious . . . especially after the shit with Andrei last year.

Present status: 4,172 words written, have realized a serious plot problem and may have to chalk this up to a neat but unworkable idea

Aiming for: Novella or novel

Giant Space Spider

Synopsis: In a different, more pulpy space opera setting than the other works, a ship goes to investigate a world no ship has ever been able to get past.

First paragraph: No one knew what lurked beyond Alzas. Spacer rumors had put everything from ancient evils from before the dawn of time to pirates very determined to keep their stronghold secret. All that was known for sure was that something was there, and that something didn’t let anyone past.

Present status: 789 words written, possibly stuck

Aiming for: Novella or novel

Jake’s Early Years

Synopsis: This is a prequel to my novellaJake’s Last Mission. This would be the story of how Jake went orphaned ranch hand to military officer. It’ll start a space western and shift as it goes on to military space opera.

First paragraph: “I can quit school. I already know how to read and do math and such. I can figure out anything else, Dad,” I said, sounding as mature as I could at eleven years old.

Present status: Don’t know how many words written as some is handwritten. I idiotically switched from third to first person, so I’ve got to decide which I’m using and rewrite the rest.

Aiming for: Novella or novel

Second Kavaliro Cousin

Synopsis: Lyndsey and Taliza, the main characters from my novella The Crown of Eldrete, and a team are going to Polthaina to try to secure the space port and naval base with the help of local rebels. Someone’s been feeding the bad guys intel. It’s space opera.

First paragraph: When Lyndsey got to the bridge of the yacht, Taliza was already there and talking to someone. “I understand that,” she was saying, “but we’re unarmed, so clearly there’s no reason to fire on us.” Taliza hit the button that let other occupants of the bridge hear what was being said over the comm.

Alternate first paragraph: Polthaina had been attacked by enemies so often in its long history that the entirety of the world was covered in ruins. Lyndsey paused to try to read an inscription on a vine and moss covered arch in one of these ruins. “Hey, Cousin? You got any clue what this says?”

Present status: 2,553 words written in one version, 363 of another. The existence of two different versions that are that incomplete should make clear how very badly this story is going.

Aiming for: Novella

Lyn, Rek, Ana, and Bobby Have An Adventure

Synopsis: This is set years before the Kavaliro Cousins series when Lyndsey’s wife, Anastasia, was a Dagger (rebel-for-hire) too. She and Lyndsey were on a mission when they ran into Bobby (from No More Lies and Bobby’s Daughter) and his best friend, Rek, who are on a mission for the Sweytzian Defense Force Special Forces. The two groups are targeting the same organization, but for different reasons. It starts with Rek’s disguise being good enough to fool Lyndsey so she shoots him, and things go downhill from there. This one is also space opera.

First paragraph: Son of a fucking bitch! Lyndsey thought as the guard got into sight. He was looking right at her. Guess I’m not as well hidden as I thought. With a quick prayer, she pulled her holdout blaster and shot the guard. Having not taken the time to aim, the bolt only scorched his leg a bit. Should at least slow him down some, she thought, quickly hitting a button on her comm with the hand that didn’t have a blaster in it.

Present status: 6,809 words written. Might need to back up a bit and rewrite from there.

Aiming for: Novella or novel

Magi

Synopsis: Elianthir has just become a mage. His grandfather died under mysterious circumstances years ago. His girlfriend, who’s a member of his hometown, just found brutally killed sheep. An evil mage is somehow involved in all of this. That’s all I know so far.

First paragraph: Elianthir touched the intricately carved silver cover of the codex with trepidation. He knew that once he opened it, all of his grandfather’s hard won knowledge would disappear from its pages. The words — those the Order of Tylar considered important anyway — had been carefully copied into the Grand Codex of Tylar, of course. But that didn’t stop Elianthir from feeling like he was about to destroy something of great value, to destroy the last remaining bit of his grandfather, who’d vanished in a cloud of pale blue smoke while fighting a telazir years before.

Present status: 2,619 words written. I need to do some world-building first.

Aiming for: Novel or series of novels

Super Hero Story

Synopsis: Super villain stole an important thing. Super hero team that usually deals with such things is too well known to super villain, so they’re recruiting a new team. I think I was planning to go with something Avengers like . . . new team learning to work together while thrust into the crucible sort of thing.

First paragraph: The red energy field contained by the pentagon pulsated. Mona Cathar, known to most as the Pink Spider, studied it from afar, daring not to get close enough to be tempted to try to touch it. The others present, actual scientists, unlike her, jabbered about “revolutionizing our understanding of Quaglon science” and “non-electrical power” and other such things. Mona, however, saw one thing when she looked at it: Money.

Amount already have: 372 words written. Pretty sure this is stuck, which is sad. I have the bad guys and their motivations, but the good guys are proving much harder.

Aiming for: Novel or series of novels

Viktor’s Life Story

Synopsis: Viktor has finally conceded to have an official biography written, decades after killing the tyrant Drochslem and bringing peace to the Vorton galaxy. That’s the frame story to him telling the tale of how he went from quiet bookish teenager to war hero to Dagger to Drochslem’s slave to Drochslem’s killer to crippled bar owner, poet, and professor. Space opera, needless to say. Space fantasy to a certain extent too, I think.

First paragraph: I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d expected Viktor Blue to look like, but it certainly wasn’t the gentleman standing in front of me. His silver hair, the only part of him that betrayed his age, hung to just past his waist, part of it pulled back in an elaborate braid. His clothing was much like that his husband normally wears, but tamer: a loose, long-sleeved white shirt with ruffles at the cuff and collar; a black vest with silver embroidery; black silk pants; and black boots polished to a gleaming shine. His jewelry was plentiful, but simple and understated, save a pair of silver filigree earrings he absent-mindedly untangled from his hair as he limped towards me. There was a black cane with a pearlescent handle next to his chair, but he’d left it behind. He was tall with piercing blue eyes and spoke in a cultured baritone. He sighed softly before asking, “You’re the Royal Historian, I presume?” His accent was odd, which I didn’t find surprising since he hadn’t learned to speak Allurian until he was in his thirties.

Present status: 1,111 words written. Like this story, but am just not feeling inspired.

Aiming for: Novel or series of novels

No More Lies

Back cover blurb: Years ago, Bobby Kavaliro ran away from Sweytz, from everything and everyone he’d ever known, lured by promises of money and power made by the smooth-talking dictator of Anerix.

A few years later Bobby came to realize how stupid he’d been and became a spy for the very world he left.

A spy posing as an assassin.

A spy whose best friend and mentor has just had his cover blown.

A spy who jilted someone who would now like to see him dead.

A spy, in other words, who needs a vacation. And a spy who is hoping to meet someone to share his bed while on that vacation.

Bobby finds more than that when he meets Karen. So much more, in fact, that before too long he’s moving back to Sweytz, looking for a job, and trying to quickly learn how to be a responsible adult for the first time in his life.

Meanwhile, Anerix’s High Command, now very much suspecting he was a spy, are sending assassins after him . . . and after Karen.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, Karen doesn’t believe half of what he’s told her about his past, nor is she sure she wants to be with him after she gets to know just how temperamental and immature he can be.

Bobby has to grow up fast to keep her love, deal with everything he’s missed while he was gone, try to avoid being killed, try to keep Karen safe, and try to rebuild his relationship with his family, all at the same time.

First paragraph: This is exactly what I needed, I thought, as I leaned back against a tree in Thil Park on Sarglerich and began tuning my loothin, a break from sneaking around listening to things I could get killed for overhearing, worrying every second that somebody’s gonna figure out what I’m up to and kill me, and all the other shit that goes along with my job.

Present status: 6,543 words in second draft. Willing to accept requests to be a beta reader. Will be resuming editing efforts in December.

Is: Novel

Intertwined Lives

Synopsis: Kayden, Richie, Quinn, and Rusark couldn’t be more different. One’s a future stay-at-home Dad, one’s a minor rock star, one’s a rebel-for-hire, and one’s the newest officer in the Sweytzian Special Forces. One’s quiet and shy, one’s outgoing and hyper, one’s suave and charming, and one’s forthright and pragmatic. This book follows their four, very different, stories as they simply live their lives, lives that intertwine because of family, friendship, and love.

This is a story for everyone who’s ever wondered what the heroes do when they’re not saving the day. This is a story for everyone who’s ever wondered what the ordinary people in a society with epic heroes are like.

First paragraph: I’ve often thought that one of the cruelest tricks the gods (or spirits or ancestors or whatever) played on me was making me solely attracted to men. Me, the guy who has wanted kids of his own since . . . I can’t remember when. Always, as far as I know. Oh, sure, I could donate sperm to one of my female friends and have them carry my kid, or Reuben could get one of my sisters pregnant . . . if it’s one of the other quadruplets, that would be kind of the same, especially if it was Veronica, since she’s tiny and brunette like me. But . . . it’s just not fair. I want a kid that’s mine and Reuben’s.

Or, since I might change the order of the first two chapters: Somewhere out there in the tri-galaxies, one of my older sisters was headed home after fighting to free a world from a tyrant. Somewhere out there, one of my other older sisters was headed home after a bit of smuggling. I, on the other hand, was in the nursery of my own house, trying to convince my daughters to take a nap.

Present status: 14,399 words, with scattered bits in various degrees of usability spread throughout the previous works that it’s combining.

Aiming for: Well, it was supposed to be just one novel, but since it’s already 14,399 words and I still haven’t introduced one narrator and am only about five days into a story that’s going to cover a couple of years, I think I might be looking at either a GRRM length story here or a series. I’m posting it as I go here. (I promise more will be up soon. See previous bit about cold and sinus infection. My schedule for the week fell apart.)